Now that the 2025 NFL Draft is in the rearview mirror, let's take some questions. This will be Part I of a two-part mailbag. As always, thank you for doing half the work for me.
Question from UnbiasedPhilly (via Bluesky): So initially it was said Philly was getting 3 comp picks, (before Mekhi Becton signed) for the losses of Milton Williams, Josh Sweat, and Isaiah Rodgers. Lately the projections dropped Rodgers and added Becton. Should they get four? Or did the formula kick Rodgers out because the deals other teams signed? Curious if you know, thanks!
The Eagles lost four "CFAs" — compensatory free agents — in free agency. They were Williams, Sweat, Becton, and Rodgers. They gained one, Azeez Ojulari. The comp pick the Eagles would have received for the loss of Rodgers was canceled out by the signing of Ojulari.
| Players lost (APY) – Projected round | Players gained (APY) – Projected round |
| iDL Milton Williams ($26 million) – 3 | EDGE Azeez Ojulari ($3.5 million) – 7 |
| EDGE Josh Sweat ($19.1 million) – 4 | |
| RG Mekhi Becton ($10 million) – 5 | |
| CB Isaiah Rodgers ($7.5 million) – 6 |
That above chart is now locked, as the period during which players count toward the comp pick formula has ended. So, they'll be awarded three comp picks in the 2026 draft next March, likely in the third, fourth, and fifth rounds. They're projected to have 12 picks in 2026.
Also, demerits for you for not having our comp pick tracker bookmarked.
Question from @bartiger: The Eagles drafted a few older prospects this year. Is that just an anomaly or a strategy? Wondering if Howie is aiming for ready to go players who he is not planning to extend at end of contract.
The ages of each of the drafted rookies this year:
• Jihaad Campbell: 21
• Andrew Mukuba: 22
• Ty Robinson: 24
• Mac McWilliams: 23
• Smael Mondon: 22
• Drew Kendall: 23
• Kyle McCord: 22
• Myles Hinton: 23
• Cameron Williams: 21
• Antwaun Powell-Ryland: 23
There were 70 underclassmen who declared for the 2025 NFL Draft, and some of those guys didn't get drafted. The Eagles picked three underclassmen — Campbell, Kendall, and Williams. Kendall did have a redshirt year to begin his college career. Still, the Eagles selected more than their share of underclassmen.
Three of their other picks played four years in college without a redshirt season — Mukuba, Mondon, and McCord. Those guys are all 22.
While this draft class may be older relative to past Eagles drafts, those six above guys are all younger prospects relative to the 2025 draft class.
Three guys — McWilliams, Hinton, and Powell-Ryland — played five college seasons. Robinson played six.
I do think that in the case of Robinson, who is likely to have an immediate role as a rotational defensive lineman, his age and maturity is perhaps a feature, not a bug, instead of it typically being the other way around. You could maybe make a similar argument for McWilliams, who the team will hope can play immediately on special teams and who could be the backup slot. But I don't think that applies to Hinton or Powell-Ryland, who are both developmental guys.
Question from @SteadPA: You regularly reference arm length for OL. Can you maybe elaborate how arm length plays a role? Is it the same for OT vs OG?
Look no further than the Super Bowl. The Chiefs got crappy play from an assortment of left tackles throughout the season, so they put poor Joe Thuney out there in the Super Bowl. Thuney has 32 1/4" arms, which for an offensive tackle is in the 3rd percentile:
Josh Sweat has 34 5/8" arms, which are in the 87th percentile for edge rushers.
So what does that difference in arm length look like on the field? Well, watch Sweat get a straight arm into Thuney's chest and immediately win this rep.
On the interior, it's a little more confined in there. Arm length is still a good thing to have inside, but it's not as important as it is on the edge, where you're trying to block guys on an island, in space. Being able to keep edge rushers at bay with long limbs is a pretty important physical trait.
Question from @fritztastic: The Eagles weren't taking Shedeur Sanders, right?
In the Eagles' draft video, we get to see a couple of Eagles personnel guys — Dave Caldwell and Zach Drapkin — go to bat for Kyle McCord. 14:18 mark below:
Now, that doesn't mean that someone else in that room didn't stand on the table for Sanders. The Eagles aren't going to show that. So, the answer is, I don't know. But McCord obviously had some fans in the war room.
Question from @premoveobserver (via Threads): Watching Vic Fangio's reaction to the Jihaad Campbell pick, it's clear that he has Howie's ear and respect. I believe he played a major role in Jordan Davis' fifth-year option being picked up. What do you see the big man doing in his second year in Vic's system?
You can see Vic's reaction to the Campbell pick at the 9:35 mark above. (On a side note: Re: the debate over whether Campbell will primarily be an off-ball linebacker or an edge defender, that other guy that walked in with Vic was linebackers coach Bobby King.)
Anyway, I agree that the Eagles' personnel department gives weight to Vic's opinions. I'm not so sure Vic is super in love with Jordan Davis as a player, or he'd be playing him more. The Eagles invested a lot of draft capital in Davis before Vic joined the team. It feels more like the front office is hopeful that Davis can make a big leap in Year 4.
As for 2025 expectations, with the loss of Williams in free agency Davis is going to have to play more. This time last year it was clear that Jalen Carter was going to have to play more with the loss of Fletcher Cox to retirement. He stepped up. I guess we'll see if Davis can finally be a three-down player.
Question from @DrewSportsNews: Why do you think that McKee is a clear favorite to win the backup QB job? McCord has a ton of college snaps under his belt (and plenty of success) and McKee has limited NFL experience (albeit with success). I agree that McKee is the favorite, but don't you think it's like 60-40?
I'll push back a bit on McCord's college experience. He was only his team's starter for two seasons in college, same as McKee. Though certainly, he attempted a buttload of passes his senior season at Syracuse.
I do not think it's like 60-40. I think it's probably more like 90-10.
To begin, McKee is good! He's been impressive in the preseason in each of his two NFL seasons, and he balled out when he got into real games last year. The Eagles traded Kenny Pickett to make way for him as the QB2, well before they drafted McCord. That move showed a clear trust in him.
McKee has two more seasons under his belt in NFL training camps, he has two more years in the Eagles' playbook, and he has seen live bullets flying in real games. That's a pretty big advantage.
I like McCord as a prospect, and I think he has a chance to come in and impress right off the bat, but he would have to be awesome in camp and McKee would have to absolutely stink for McCord to flip that battle, in my opinion.
Question from @Collachk: What are Lewis Cine’s deficiencies that he is never mentioned when the safety position is discussed? He must have some talent as he was a 1st rounder.
He suffered a compound fracture Week 4 of his rookie season in 2022. Obviously, that ended his season, and probably messed up his 2023 season, too. In 2024, he still hadn't shown enough to the Vikings to make their 53-man roster out of camp.
So, the short answer is that a bad injury derailed his career pretty early on. As for his deficiencies, I dunno. He has only played 10 career snaps in the regular defense, so there isn't much to evaluate. We'll get a better look at him in camp.
Question from @RJankowich: Obscure special teams question. If Kelee Ringo and Sydney Brown are part of the regular defense, then who would be the gunners on the punt coverage team? Tristin McCollum might be one if he makes the team, but who else would be candidates?
You knew full well I'd pick this question to answer, lol. I think Mac McWilliams makes sense in that role. He's a physical tackler and he runs a 4.41. There's also Avery Williams, the cornerback-turned-running back that the Eagles signed in free agency. He has a chance to be the Eagles' primary return specialist with Britain Covey moving on to L.A. He also has experience as a gunner when he played for the Falcons.
I think Sydney will be back in that role in 2025 though, because I think he still needs to earn Fangio's trust in the regular defense.
Question from @RickP25057744: I’m feeling like the whole 3 Super Bowls in 8 years thing overshadows the fact that our last 3 NFCCG’s were epic beatdowns of the best of the rest of the Conference.
I think we've covered this previously in a mailbag, but, yeah…
• Eagles-Commanders (55-23): 7 rushing TDs, and the refs almost awarded the Eagles a TD.
• Eagles-49ers (31-7): The Niners couldn't block the Eagles' D-line, got two quarterbacks killed as a result, then cried all offseason about it.
• Eagles-Vikings (38-7): Eagles fans changed the "Skol" chant to a "Foles" chant.
They're +87 in those three NFC Championship Games, lol.
Question from @supers (via Bluesky): Does the 2024 SB feel like a finale for the 2020 “era” of Eagles, or is this team the start of something new for the franchise?
They probably still have the best roster in the NFL.
Question from @BigWinz: Jimmy do you ever look back at past drafts at guys you thought would be great fits and be like, "Yikes what was I thinking!?” One name in particular that comes to mind Treylon Burks. I remember you being somewhat high on him. The Titans may have saved us.
I did like Burks, ha. That said, of course I thought the Eagles were better off trading the pick that could have been Burks to the Titans for A.J. Brown.
My list of Eagles picks who I thought would be better than what they are/were, going back 15 years:
- Jordan Davis
- Sydney Brown
- Derek Barnett
- Mychal Kendricks
- Nate Allen
Question from @tech__44: Do you have a favorite draft memory that comes to mind?
I wouldn't necessarily say this is one specific memory, but back in the day during my sales career, before I covered the NFL, the draft used to be on Saturday and Sunday. The first three rounds would be on Saturday, and rounds 4-7 would be on Sunday. I used to always set aside that weekend for spring cleaning, as in, I'd thoroughly clean out my entire house, with the draft on in every room.
Now that the draft is on in primetime the first two nights, that's actually pretty helpful in terms maximizing readership, so I can't really complain about it. But I loved when the draft was just on Saturday and Sunday.
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